Coast based human rights defenders are demanding urgent actions against police officers involved in the killing of a teacher cum blogger, Albert Ojwang.
Mr Ojwang, 31 was found dead at the Kenya’s Capital’s Nairobi, Central Police Station on Sunday morning after he was arrested at his home in Homa Bay county on Saturday, by DCI officers.
His death has elicited outrage among Kenyans, pressure piling to the suspects including the Deputy Inspector General of police Eliud Lagat to resign—to pave way for thorough non-interfered investigations.
Addressing the press in Mombasa on Wednesday, the Coast Civil Society Network for Human Rights condemned the gross human rights violations, demanding urgent lawful actions against all the police officers involved in the cold blood murder.
“We, the Coast Civil Society Network for Human Rights, strongly condemn the horrific torture and murder of Albert Omondi Ojwang, a 31-year-old teacher and blogger, who died in the custody of officers at Nairobi’s Central Police Station on June 8, 2025,” they said.
Ojwang, was arrested after posting on social media allegations of corruption against Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Eliud Lagat.
According to a post-mortem, he suffered severe head trauma and neck compression—clear evidence of torture.
“His death is not an isolated incident but a chilling reminder of the institutionalised impunity and rogue behaviour within the National Police Service (NPS),” said Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI) Director and renowned human rights defender, Khelef Khalifa.
He carried on “Kenya is a constitutional democratic country governed by the rule of law. No individual regardless of their alleged offense should be subjected to extrajudicial punishment or state-sanctioned murder,”
Albert’s death occurs just as the country prepares to mark one year since the state’s deadly crackdown on anti-Finance Bill protests in June 2024, during which more than 67 Kenyans were killed. 20 more extrajudicial killings have been recorded this year alone, pointing to a systematic pattern of violence and repression.
“President William Ruto’s failure to disband these police death squads despite campaign promises has emboldened them. His inaction, or possible complicity, has deeply eroded public trust and exposed Kenyans to escalating police violence and state terror,” added Khalifa.
Demands
The activists from MUHURI, InformAction, youth groups among other right groups are demanding that the Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat, a person of interest in the case to immediately step aside to allow for a thorough, impartial investigation into his role in Ojwang’s arrest and death.
They are also demanding that the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to conduct a transparent investigation, free from any political interference.
“We want all officers involved in the torture and killing of Albert Ojwang to be arrested and charged with murder not merely suspended and in fact the National Assembly and Senate must break their silence and stand with Kenyans. You are not immune to this violence. Hold the police service accountable and restore the rule of law,” said InformAction Coast based, Field Director, Mweupe Khalfan.
The human rights defenders called on the International community, including embassies, human rights institutions and global partners, to speak out against the wave of state violence.
“Kindly use your diplomatic and moral leverage to pressure the Kenyan government to end this brutality. What is unfolding in Kenya and across the East African region demands your immediate solidarity and action to end police terror,” reiterated Ms Khalfan.
Ojwang’s cold blood murder has yielded an outrage in Kenya, with rights groups, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and Kenyans across the nation demanding answers over the increasing police brutality in the country.
